The White Falcon - 26.10.1990, Page 5

Armed Forces News Briefs
elective Early Retirement board meets
RANDOLPH AFB, Texas (AFNS) — The Air Force selective early
retirement boards (SERBS) will convene at the Air Force Military
Personnel Center Dec. 3.
“The Air Force has done everything possible this year to avoid selec-
tive early retirement boards, including reducing accessions and en-
couraging voluntary separations and retirements,” said Col. Duane L.
Conques, Chief of the Retirements and Separations Division at the
Military Personnel Center.
All four military services, however, have found SERBS still neces-
sary to lower the number of field grade officers who can legally be on
active duty as total end strength decreases, Col. Conques said.
Officers considered by the 1988 boards are exempt and will not meet
the 1990 SERBS.
“The Air Force SERBS will ensure the Air Force continues to take
a balanced approach to force reduction while protecting the future of
officers who are not yet retirement-eligible,” Col. Conques said.
The numbers being considered by the December boards were not
available at press time. However, no more than 30 percent of those
considered by a board may be selected for early retirement. Separate
boards will be held to consider: Line Colonels, Line Lieutenant
Colonels, Chaplain Colonels, Chaplain Lieutenant Colonels, and Judge
Advocate General Lieutenant Colonels.
Considered for early retirement will be Colonels with four or more
years time-in-grade by Dec. 3, and Lieutenant Colonels who have been
considered at least twice in the primary zone for Colonel but not
selected.
“The Air Force does everything possible to maintain the dignity and
privacy of those selected,” Colonel Conques said.
After results are approved by the Secretary of the Air Force, selectees
will be notified by the commanders — outside of normal personnel
channels.
“They will have the option of applying for retirement if they wish, so
the retirement will appear normal and voluntary. They must retire,
however, no later than the first day of the seventh month after secretar-
ial approval of the results, the Colonel said.”
Those who are being considered by the December boards may write
a letter to the board to provide information which may not be a matter
of record.
More information can be obtained locally by contacting the local
CBPO at 4507.
Operation ‘Dessert Shield’
What started out as an Air Forces Iceland Wives Club project has
turned into an all Air Force effort to improve the morale of troops par-
ticipating in Operation Desert Shield.
^According to Susan Roth, chairman of the Operation Dessert
Hield committee, the idea of sending baked goods to the personnel
Pk Saudi Arabia started when AFI spouses were thinking how lucky
they were that their husbands and wives were home safe.
“We wanted to send baked goods before the holidays as that’s when
their families back home would send gifts and goodies,” Roth said.
Each bag included an AFT logo and personal note written by 10
volunteers who packaged 550 individual bags of cookies.
She added that Capt. K. Pendergast, 4557th Supply commander,
and Chief Master Sgt. Bill Cogman, NCOIC of the Office of Informa-
tion, helped get the boxes and packing supplies.
At right, Laura Cox, Mattice Gibbs and Debbie Lackey pack boxes
full of goodies for servicemen and women serving in Operation
Desert Shield. (Photo by PH2 Candice Pratt)
Plan now for
Chemistry, sometimes call the
“Mother of Science,” underlies much of
modem life. Consumer products,
environmental issues and health are but a
few of the aspects of our lives which
depend critically on chemistry.
The University of Maryland will be
offering CHEM 103, General Chemistry
I during Terms HI and TV. The class is
worth four semester hours. Lecture
sessions will be scheduled one night per
week for 16 weeks (Jan. 21 to May 24)
and lab sessions will be scheduled a sec-
ond night during 11 of these weeks.
Total class contact time includes 48
lecture hours and 32 lab hours.
CHEM 103 is intended to count
toward the basic lab science requirement
for any undergraduate degree program in an
college or university. Moreover, it is a
required course for baccalaureate degree
programs in health science, nursing,
biological science, physical sciences and en-
gineering. In short, there is probably no
single laboratory science course which
satisfies a broader array of different
requirements.
Students choosing to take advantage of
this special opportunity should begin
planning now. Although there is no
chemistry or science prerequisite there is a
math prerequisite that should be taken
seriously. Chemistry requires a working
knowledge of basic algebra that can be
gained through courses such as UMD’s
MATH 101, Concepts of Modem Algebra
(intermediate algebra).
Students who have successfully com-
pleted this course within the last six
months can assume adequate mathemati-
cal foundation. Under other circum-
stances, students should have math skills
diagnosed in the Education Center as
soon as possible. A special waiver
condition has been established as well.
Textbooks will need to be ordered by the
student in advance. For more informa-
tion, call Lisa at 4408.
While challenging, CHEM 103 will
also prove interesting, stimulating and
very useful. The course is not just for
science majors. The 16-week format
ensures a pace that makes success pos-
sible for any student.
October 26,1990
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